TOWNEND COMMON (CZ/ES02) - Management Plan

Click here to see general ecological data for the site

Click here to see species lists for this site

 

Aims and Objectives

Ecological

  • Maintain and enhance heather moorland areas with bilberry and other characteristic species.
  • Introduce a programme of birch and bracken control.
  • Enhance wetland areas by improving and enlarging some existing ponds. Maintain wet boggy areas fed by streams as mosaics of Juncus (rush) and Sphagnum carpets. 
  • Maintain acid grassland habitats in the northwestern part of site adjacent with golf course.

Recreational and landscape

  • Minimise damage from off road vehicles and trials bikes through marking routes and limit access to sensitive parts by erecting barriers (such as large boulders). The bare habitat caused by rutting creates temporary pools that may be used at any time of year by aquatic invertebrates and newts. Bare areas also benefit certain Hymenoptera.
  • Some dry stone wall restoration may be required on the southern and western boundaries of the site.

Community and educational

  • Possible construction of boardwalk on a part of the wetland area (in northern part of site). Small jetty in one of the ponds for pond watching and dipping.   

 

Management Prescription 

AIM

CODE

METHOD

REASON

Heather moorland management

HMM1

Maintain and enhance areas of heather moor by appropriate management to create a mosaic of uneven-aged heather carpets through small-scale controlled burning or, where the topography allows, by cutting. Areas of bracken should not be burnt.

Maintain and enhance biodiversity and physical structure of moorland areas.

Bracken control

BC1

Bracken control - monitor areas through site visit and examination of past aerial photos. Target areas that show any significant spread by trampling or application of asulam..

Maintain moorland for landscape amenity and biodiversity.

Wetland enhancement

WE1

Maintain wet boggy areas of Sphagnum and rush (Juncus) flush. Create and enhance existing bog pools.

Enhance and maintain biodiversity.

Duckboard construction

DB1

Select a wetland area for construction of a duckboard route with jetty to pond.

Promote safe access to wetland area and facility for pond watching/dipping.

Duckboard maintenance

DB2

Maintenance of duckboard route.

Provide some limited access for casual and formal educational use.

Footpath and trails improvements

FTI1

Some informal footpath improvements could be made but most routes around the site are also used/created by off-road vehicles and trails bikes. Secure some of the more sensitive routes from access by use of boulders (?)

Safe use of site by visitors.

Acid/rough grassland management

AGM1

Ensure acid/rough grassland located to the west of the site adjacent to golf course is kept open and protected from scrub invasion. Aim to manage a variety of sward heights by introducing some limited rotational cutting.

Maintain diversity of habitat for the benefit of invertebrates and birds.

Scrub control

SC1

Encroaching scrub (mainly birch) on moorland areas should be monitored and controlled as necessary.

Maintain moorland areas for landscape amenity and biodiversity.

Dry stone wall restoration

DSW1

Assess condition of wall on southern boundary and restore damaged stretches.

Landscape maintenance and secure boundary of site.


Management Description                                                                       

CODE

YEAR
SEASON

 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

 

HMM1
a

a

a

Winter

BC1
a
a
a

a
a

a

Summer

WE1
a

a

a

Winter

DB1

a

Winter

DB2

a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a

Winter

FI1

a

a

a

a

a

Winter

AGM1
a

a

a

a

a

Summer

SC1

a

a

Winter

DSW1

a
a

Any

 

 

Stocksbridge SRB5 Greenspace Audit undertaken by Jim Flanagan for Sheffield Wildlife Trust - see their Community Action Handbook - full of good ideas for your local site


Back to map of ecological survey sites

Inner Zone

Knoll Top

Outer Zone

Oxley Park

Bracken Moor - playing fields

East Whitwell - open space

Wood Royd

Countryside Zone

Ellen Cliff Wood

Townend Common

Industrial Zone

Dog Lichen Field

Hen Holmes Wood

Little Don - acid heath

Little Don - open space

Exchange Sidings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Web pages by Map21 Ltd - latest update 31 May 2004

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